[lit-ideas] Re: "A Proposition Is A Fact" (Tractatus)

  • From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:27:39 +0000 (GMT)



--- On Mon, 20/4/09, Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx <Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx
> writes:
> Still don't quite  understand what TLP means when it
> asserts a 'proposition 
> is a fact' (rather than  is _of_ a fact)? Perhaps
> someone might explain.
 
> -----
> 
> Well,  perhaps Wittgenstein wasn't too serious on his
> classical  background.
> 
> Ditto his brother. His harmonies many regard now as 
> 'simple'.
> 
> In Latin, from the Greek,
> 
> pro-positio
> 
> is an _act_  of 'ponere', to put.
> 
> positio is the noun formed out of the preterite 
> form.
> 
> The Greek exact equivalent is 'thesis'.
> 
> Now, 'pro' in Greek  would come out as meta-thesis? 
> 
> Then  there's
> 
> pre-positio   --
> 
> ad - positio
> 
> sub-  positio 
> 
> pre -- sub -- positio
> 
> etc.
> 
> Whereas 'fact' is  slightly abused in Latin. It is
> indeed from 'facere', to 
> make. As in 'orifice',  to make a mouth or hole.
> 
> So, that the sun rises from the east is not a  _fact_
> (unless you are a 
> silly deist). 
> 
> It's not a pro-positio either.  You _pro-pose_ when
> you _say_ it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> JL  

Still don't quite  understand what TLP means when it asserts a 'proposition is 
a fact' (rather than  is _of_ a fact)? Perhaps someone might explain.

Donal
Dodging Googleearth
London





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